I am building the AFV kit and have three questions. First are there any fixes need in the kit(seems straight forward)? Second was the tubular frame esed on the NAm version and what is its purpose?.

The kit is great and builds up OOB without any tweeks needed. The tubular frame is a roll bar and was not added till the 1980s. It is used when the gun is used by airborne troops such as 82nd AB or 101st AB. It acts as a roll bar to protect the breech and recoil mechanism when the gun is dropped from the aircraft. Not used in Vietnam though.

Shiryon,
I will have access to one this weekend and plan on taking a number of pictures as it will be one of my INCOMING! builds. I will post them up in my gallery as soon as I get them downloaded.

HTH,
Dave S.

Gentlemen,

Remember that Rob has one M102 in his Motor Pool gallery: https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?set_albumName=albuu41&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

Pawel

thanks very much any pics would be a help. I am plannining on doing the an IDF variant and it seems to be the perfect OOB kit between major builds. I have just one more Question though, the side mounted wheel on the trail is it rubber or metal or possibly aome combo. I just wanted to figure whether to paint it tire color or the overall color.
thanks again.

JOsh

The traverse wheel on the trails is metal and should be painted the same color as the rest of the trails. Good luck. Didn't know IDF used the M102.

according to the placard in the new IDF artillery museum (see my webshots pages for pics) it was used in small numbers and against the eguyptians in particular in the Yom Kippur war. Jus t a note the M101 was also used both on the M7 priest and towed . the M7's last hurrah was firing in support on the golan during the syrian breakthrough in til their barrels burned out.

Josh

Here are some with a prime mover.

http://www.salt6.com/m102.htm

SB

I have to disagree with HeavyArty on the traverse wheel being steel. I was looking at it closely last summer and plan on getting more shots this weekend. It is rubber, I remember looking at it with KKeefe.

Will post photos later.

Sabot, you think you're the only one who keeps howitzers around!? :-) See you tomorrow.

Dave S.

could it be the nam versions were metal and modern rubber?

Now that is something I hadn't thought of. Anybody know? I can only comment on the ones I saw.

Dave S.

The traversing wheels that I saw are rubber. A very hard rubber, but rubber. Perhaps some original production were made out of steel but, the ones that I have seen with Dixon66 in Rob's Motor Pool were/are rubber.

This weapon was not in production all that long. I will stand corrected if proof that they were/are steel is presented but, my eyes saw rubber on two different examples. I will see them again tomorrow as well.

I would be concerned that a steel drum of that size would probably add a considerable amount of unwanted weight for an airborne weapon and IMHO would require more maintainence and/or replacement not to mention the cost of doing so. If the drums were originally made of steel, I would be willing to bet that they were converted to the rubber real quick.

Not meaning to argue here but I know what I saw. Perhaps what you saw was the painted (overspray?) rubber. ?

They could have been rubber. It has been about 10 years since I was on a M102. The traverse wheel was painted the same as the rest of the trails and it looked like steel as far as I can remember. But it could be rubber.

Hi all,
I posted up 10 detail photos of the M102 in my gallery. There are many more photos available. If anyone wants them PM me with your e-mail. The folder comes out to 3 Meg, but it should zip down OK.

Dave S.